A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

Of the Oliue tree. Chap. lxiij.

¶ The Kindes.

[ 1] THere be two sortes of Oliue trees, one called the garden or set Oliue tree, the other is the wilde Oliue tree.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THE garden Oliue tree groweth high & great, with many branches ful of long narrow leaues, not much vnlyke to Withy leaues, but narrower & smaller. The flow∣ers be small and white, and growe in clusters. The fruite is somwhat long and rounde, almost of the ma∣king of a Damson, or Plumme, at the first greene without, but after they beginne to waxe ripe, they are blackish, in the middle whereof is a litle stone, which is hard and firme. Out of this fruite, that oyle is pres∣sed, whiche we cal oyle Oliue.

[ 2] The wilde Oliue tree is lyke to the garden or tame Oliue tree, sa∣uing that the leaues therof be som∣what smaller, amōgst which grow many prickley thornes. The beries or fruit also are smaller, & do seldom come to ripenes, insomuch as: that oyle which is pressed foorth of them abideth euer greene and vnripe.

❀ The Place.

The Oliue tree delighteth to grow in dry vallies, and vpon smal hillockes or barrowes, & it grow∣eth plentifully throughout Spayne and Italy, and ocher lyke regions.

[illustration]

Olea satiua. The garden Oliue tree. Olea syluestris. The wilde Oliue tree.

❀ The Tyme.

The Oliue tree flowreth in Aprill, and about the beginning of May: but the Oliues are ripe in October.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The Oliue tree is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Olea: in high Douche, Oelbaum, and Oliuenbaum: in base Almaigne, Olijfboom.

[ 2] The wilde Oliue tree is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Oleaster, Oleasyluestris, and Olea Aethiopica.

The fruite also is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Oliua: and according to the same it is called in Englishe, Frenche, and Douche, Oliue.

The Oliues cōdited in salt or brine, are called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Colymbadae

❀ The Nature.

The leaues & tender shutes of the Oliue tree, are cold, dry, & astringent. The grene vnripe oliues ar also cold & astringēt, but being ripe thei be hoat & moist.

The Oyle that is made of vnripe Oliues, is colde and astringent: but that which is pressed out of the ripe Oliues, is hoate moyst and of subtil partes.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The leaues of the Oliue tree laid to are good against Serpigo, or the disease which is called wilde fire, bycause it creepeth hither and thither, fretting sores and consuming poxe, and other suche hoate tumours or cholerique swellinges.

[ B] The same layde to with hony, doo mundifie and clense vlcers, and doo also

swage and slake all other swellinges and tumours.

[ C] They are good to be layde to against the vlcers, inflammations, and impo∣stemes of the mouth, and gummes, especially of children, if their mouthes be washed with the decoction thereof.

[ D] The iuyce of them stoppeth womens flowers, and all other fluxe of blood, with the laske and bloody flixe, to be taken inwardly or applyed outwardly.

[ E] It is also good against the rednesse, inflammation, and vlcers of the eyes to be put into Collyres and medicines made for the same, and to clense the eares from filthy corruption.

[ F] The greene and vnripe Olyues, do strengthen the stomacke, and cause good appetite, especially being condited in brine, neuerthelesse they be harde of dige∣stion, and nourishe very litle.

[ G] The ripe Olyues doo ouerturne the stomacke, and cause wambling in the same, they also engender headache, and are hurtfull to the Eyes.

[ H] The Oyle of vnripe Oliues which is called Omphacinum, doth stay, & driue away the beginninges of tumours and inflammations, & doth coole the heate of burning vlcers, and exulcerations.

[ I] It is also good against the rotten sores, and the excessiue & fylthy moysture of the gummes, it fasteneth loose teeth, to be laide vpon the gummes, with cot∣ton or a litle fine wooll.

[ K] The Ole of rype Oliues doth mollifie, it swageth payne, and dissolueth tu∣mours or swellinges, it is good against the stiffenesse of members & crampes, especially when it is mixt or compounde with good herbes.

[ L] Oyle Oliue is very apt & profitable, to make al sorts of Oyles, whether they be of herbes or flowers: for it doth easyly, & redily draw vnto it the qualities and vertue of those herbes & flowers, with the whiche it is set to be sonned, or other∣wise sodde and prepared.